Trails at Oxley Nature Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Red Fox Trail is a short wooded loop close to the Interpretive Building. If you exit the backside of the interpretive building, one of the entrances to Red Fox Trail will be to the right of the ramp. Another entrance is off of Meadowlark Prairie Trail. This trail can get very muddy but is very well marked and wide enough for a family to walk together.

Bob’s Trail is a short wooded trail that connects Red Fox Trail to Blue Heron Trail. It is well maintained and is easy to navigate. There is a fun little teepee made out of limbs on the way.

Blue Heron Trail is a partially wooded loop around a fish pond and offers views of Lake Sherry. This is a good trail to spot some wildlife on the water. We saw turtles, birds, and a snake on our visit.

Green Dragon Trail is a wooded trail that goes from Mohawk Blvd. to Woodpecker Trail. On the north half, you weave through a swamp-like environment. The path was surprisingly dry through this portion. On the south half, it can get very wet as you walk deeper into the woods.  

Woodpecker Trail is a wooded trail that connects Red Fox Trail to the Coal Creek Trail. It can get extremely muddy; we wore our rain boots and managed. 

W. Coal Creek Trail runs along the creek the entire way. On the north side, rocks stick out of the dirt and cut through the middle of the path. Journey off of the trail by crossing the Warren Bridge and exploring Blackbird Marsh. Make sure you stop to look for fish and turtles from the bridge.

E. Coal Creek Trail, one of our favorites at Oxley Nature Center, is a wooded trail to Blackbird Marsh. Climb the observation tower to get great views of Lake Sherry. Venture onto the boardwalk that goes through the middle of Blackbird Marsh. As you walk away from the marsh area, you pass through a gate later in the trail that takes you into a section that allows animals. This part of the trail is less maintained. We crossed at the CCC bridge to get back to the parking lot. 

Extra advice:

• There is no guardrail on one side of the boardwalk, so be cautious if you have little ones.
• There is no shade on the boardwalk. Bring sunscreen and a hat if you are visiting in the summer.
• The highlight of this trail is the marsh area. You can complete the entire trail or take a different trail back to the parking lot.  

Blackbird Marsh Trail is an open grass and dirt trail that follows along the far side of Blackbird Marsh. It is a nice easy trail that gives an alternate view of the marsh. There were beautiful flowers along the path during our visit.

Flowline Trail is a wide-open grass area with trees lining both sides. The grass can get very high. There is a mowed path on both sides of the trail close to the tree line when the middle section of grass gets too high. There is also a gravel path for part of it. Numerous trails branch off of Flowline Trail. Watch for the wooden signs to designate the beginning of new trails.

Thrush Trail is a wooded trail that is on the south side of the park. You will need to look for the trailhead off of Flowline Trail to access it. This trail has a more secluded feel. It winds through fairly dense trees. It is a great trail to spot wildlife and enjoy the sounds of nature. We saw three deer on our walk and could hear birds singing the entire time. This trail can be muddy at times and has a small bridge crossing.  

Whitetail Trail is close to the parking lot. To get there, you go west from the parking lot to the picnic area. You can follow the “Whitetail Trail” sign on the left to enter the trail or walk past the picnic shelter to enter on the other end. Whitetail Trail is wide and winds through trees. As you can tell from the name, deer are frequently seen on this trail. The trees are dense enough to provide some shelter for them to feel safe but not so dense that you can’t see them. We saw two on our trip! This trail can get very muddy. It is not a loop. You can add on the Coyote Trail or Thrush Trail to make a longer trip.

If you want to feel like you are walking alone in the woods, Coyote Trail is the one for you. The trail branches off of Whitetail Trail and goes to the main gate. You could use this trail as a starting point if you parked by the main gate. It is narrow most of the time and the vegetation on either side is dense. There is a bench along the trail if you need to rest. Do not forget your bug spray! Since the trail is very narrow, we had quite a few ticks that managed to get on us.

Bird Creek Trail is a nice trail on the north side of the road. The path is sandy in parts. This trail offers some good views of Bird Creek through little paths that extend off of the trail and has a fun little bridge to cross over. There are a few steep areas with steps built into them to help you climb up. The trail doesn’t follow along exactly with the map, but the correct path is visible. 

To get to the trail, you will need to take the path that connects Meadowlark Prairie Trail to Bird Creek Trail. Start on Meadowlark Prairie Trail and watch for the Bird Creek Trail sign on the left.

This trail is a paved road between the East Gate and Middle Gate. It isn’t named on the map. It is approximately 0.75 miles long. It is the most wheelchair and stroller-friendly trail. There are bicycle riders that ride through, but the gates stay closed to car traffic.

Lake Trail is an easy trail that is wide, cleared, and mostly level. Some of the trail has old bumpy pavement and the rest is dirt. There are woods on one side of the trail and Lake Sherry on the other side. About halfway, two benches make a good point to stop and take in the views of the lake.

There is also a short path in this area that connects to Mohawk Blvd if you do not want to complete the entire lake trail. This path includes a bridge, a boardwalk, and a small dirt incline.   

The North Woods consists of three trails. To get to the North Woods, you need to take a left at the fork in the road instead of going right to the interpretive center. The trail is pretty hidden in the woods. Look for the wooden Oxley Nature Center North Woods sign at the edge of the tree line. There isn’t a designated parking area for these trails. There is a grass area that you can pull off the road and park.

The Oxbow Lake Trail is the first trail that you will get on in the North Woods. It is a fairly flat trail that passes along numerous ponds and lakes. The path is mainly dirt with some tree roots poking through the soil. You can walk to the end of this trail and walk back or use this trail as a starting point to get onto another trail.

Sierra Club Trail is an easy trail with a few wooden bridges to cross. From Oxbow Lake Trail, look for the sign that leads the way to the Sierra Club Trail. There are some steep steps to get down to it, but it is relatively flat for the rest of the way. Once you reach the end of this trail, you can either make a left to take Oxbow Lake Trail back to your car or you can take a right to complete the North Woods Trail Loop.

North Woods Loop Trail is fairly flat and easy. You must use one of the previously mentioned trails to get to this loop. The path is a little narrower than the others, but it is sufficient to walk through in a single file. Once you reach the end of the loop, you can take the Oxbow Lake Trail back to your car.